Best Not to Tie Your Identity Too Closely to Anything You Do For a Living
The following is an inspiring thought-spiral, obviously.
Many of the Americans I know over the age of 50 think like this:
“What do you do?”
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“What do you do for a living?”
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“Who are you? Because I can ascertain that from whatever your answer was to the previous questions.”
Damn. So if I stock shelves at the grocery store, that’s all I am? Am I a can of Chef Boyardee?
You’re way hotter than this can.
No, faithful reader. No, you’re not a can of Chef Boyardee. You are so much more than aluminum, sticky paper, and beef ravioli.
You are feelings. You are skills. You are experiences. That’s what makes up who you are.
You are love, and preference, and motivation, and empathy, and…
Not what you do, but who you are. There is a difference, and it can get confusing sometimes.
It’s especially confusing if you like what you do and are good at it. Because sometimes there are factors outside of your control that determine how your work plays out.
Someone doesn’t like you. Someone isn’t organized enough. Someone new comes in and messes with your sweet, long-established work-flow.
“Work sucks, I know.”
But at the end of the day you, faithful reader… You are in control of who you are. And I think, to the chagrin of previous generations, it has to remain somewhat separate from what you do.
What you do can end at any time. Who you are can outlive you.
Stay classy, folks. And stay mentally separate from your job whenever possible.